Cool Patty! I've been seeing some Monarch Butterflies here lately...But have not seen any praying mantis in years here...

Sooooo cool! I saw my first praying mantis this year the other day but usually see quite a few every year. Love all of our neat little garden friends. Judy

I love that colorful guy, Patty. Where did you get the milkweed? I'd like some. We have a few monarch adults, which seem to be slightly on the increase around here, but never the caterpillars because there is no milkweed. I have lots of mantis, and am always frightening them accidentally when hand watering. What a panic they go into. I hope this one doesn't eat your caterpillar. Diane

That is wonderful on both counts. The caterpillar is pretty - I have a phobia about caterpillars - but that one is lovely.

Carol

Dianne, I got my Asclepias from Bluestone as they sold the milk weed that handles mid west soils the best. Santa Rosa Gardens sells a variety that does well in drier climates. I'm hoping that this will seed a bit as the plant price is a little high. Turns out to have been well worth it though.

As far as the mantis, The previous two years had more of these guys than I'd ever seen. Literally every plant had one. Not so many this year wonder if the spring weather played a part. Very little sun and cool for nearly a month not many bugs around. Maybe they ate each other. I'd move that mantis but there are more of them in there so it would do no good.

Can't edit above any more. I meant hope she does NOT like eating caterpillars. Duh

Wonderful, Patty! We've been trying to help the Monarchs out too. I planted some different types of milkweeds for them. They came but they ate my cilantro plant instead, lol!

I could do cilantro. Could not find anything else out there that the caterpillars were eating. Kind of worried they'll run out of food with only one plant to eat.

When I read up on our local weeds so often I encounter the comment, caterpillars of such-and-such a butterfly feed on this plant. So hooray for a discrete weed population! We live in Italy and don't have monarch butterflies, but our swallowtail caterpillars feed on the wild fennel, and possibly other members of Apiaceae.

Pat, I'd be happy to take you up on your offer if it would grow here as an annual that would be great. I think its pretty. Everything I have out there is for the bees, butterflies ect. I counted again yesterday there are seventeen on one plant. Now I need to check their life cycle so as not to mess anything up.

Using the straw for the garden also created a haven for fireflies. You would not believe how many firefly nymphs where under the straw this year. It was like living in the country again.

Living without pesticides and fungicides has not been easy. In the end it's been worth it thou.

Patty, Message me with your address, and I'll gladly send you some seed. If it grows for you, the monarch cats will devour it :) You're in a very different zone than I, but hopefully it will do as well for you as it does here as a self sowing annual. I have it come up voluntarily from seed all over the place every year...the seeds have silky propellers that "fly" around on the wind and deposit themselves in surprising places. Below isn't my picture (I just googled it at work this morning and took a pic of my screen with my phone...lol), but shows the seeds "flying gear"

Pat how do I message?

Hmm, I'm not sure how to send a message now through houzz here's my work email with some spaces added to avoid raising any flags...there are actually no spaces in it

pchambers @ envisionllc . Com